Of Coracles and Cobras.
From the beginning of June, Peninsular India starts coming alive. The air gets humid, there are showers every now and then and the small animal life gets ready to explode. By the middle of June, the Monsoon has set in and insects, amphibians and reptiles all come out. Numerous species time their offspring’s birth with the coming of the rains so that there is plenty to eat. Fresh shoots and leaves, countless insects and frogs become part of a very frenzied web for about two months.
This heightened ecological dynamic is best experienced in the Western Ghats, a mountain range that runs along almost the entire Western Coast of India. These mountains form one of the 34 global Biodiversity Hotspots. With the coming of the rains, it becomes obvious why this region is so ecologically valuable to the planet.
This heightened ecological dynamic is best experienced in the Western Ghats, a mountain range that runs along almost the entire Western Coast of India. These mountains form one of the 34 global Biodiversity Hotspots. With the coming of the rains, it becomes obvious why this region is so ecologically valuable to the planet.
The Monsoon in the Western Ghats is my favourite time in my favourite place. So, to share this, I take a group of Nature enthusiasts on a trip through some of the best parts of the Ghats each year. This year, I will be escorting a group of people from the UK through what might be an experience of a lifetime for some of them at my favourite locations.
We actually start on the East Coast at the Madras Crocodile Bank Trust/ Centre for Herpetology. Founded by Romulus (Rom) Whitaker over thirty years ago as a secure gene pool for all three Indian crocodile species.
It has since evolved to be a flagship in herpetological research and conservation in the country. Here, we will get a chance to experience crocodiles, turtles and snakes first hand.
We will immerse ourselves in the work that is going on and contribute our services to learn in return. We will also get to interact with people who are at the helm in reptile conservation in India.
While we are at the Croc Bank, we will also accompany the legendary Irula Tribesmen on their hunt for snakes for venom extraction. The Irula used to track and capture snakes for the skin industry until the Wildlife Protection Act of 1972 put an end to all that. To continue their livelihood without losing the many generations' old skills that they had developed, they founded the Irula Snake Catchers’ Cooperative Society under Rom’s guidance.
Today, some four hundred families go out into the fields around their villages and find four species of venomous snakes- the spectacled cobra, common krait, Russell’s viper and saw-scaled viper- to bring back to the cooperative for venom extraction. Venom is extracted once a week from each snake for three weeks before the snake is released back into the wild, making this the most sustainable venom extraction centre in the world! The venom is used in the production of antivenom as well as medicines and medical research.
After three days, soaking in all the learning and experience, we will board a train that will take us across the peninsular, almost due east to Mysore, where we will be picked up and driven to Hunsur, a town at the base of the Western Ghats in the state of Karnataka.
While at Hunsur, the group will be briefed in safety protocol before a visit to the Nagarahole National Park in the hope of seeing some large game. This is one of the country’s best National Parks and boasts species such as tigers, elephants, gaur, leopard, sloth bear and numerous other smaller species. We will also go for a boat ride in the Ranganthittu Wildlife sanctuary to observe nesting birds as well as wild marsh crocodiles. We also stand a very good chance to spot wild otters here.
Back at the camp in Hunsur, we will explore the lake and its surroundings and find numerous reptiles and amphibians. Checkered keelback water snakes (Xenochropus piscator) are obviously very common. However, there are also other interesting snake species like kraits (Bungarus caeruleus), vine snakes (Ahaetulla nasuta), rat snakes (Ptyas mucosa), spectacled cobras (Naja naja), Russell’s vipers (Daboia russelli) and many others. There are many geckos and other lizard species as well and we will see around twenty species of frogs here from coin sized Microhyla ornata to the pigeon-sized bull frogs (Hoplobatrachus crassus.)
We can take the coracles out to do some night fishing and also get a chance to look at the diverse life in the lake from crabs and shrimp to giant carp and eels. Nighttime is also great to spot soft-shell turtles swimming in the lake.
From here, we enter the true Ghats and head to The Agumbe Rainforest research Station. Another facility founded by Rom, ARRS is only five years old. It was started with the intention of studying and conserving the king cobra in its natural habitat. ARRS now runs and supports many projects under its umbrella. There is pioneering ecological and behavioural work being conducted on the king cobra (Ophiophagus hannah). Other on going work includes ecological research on various reptiles and amphibians, morphological variation in Malabar pit vipers (Trimerusurus malabaricus), photographic inventory of all herpetofauna, birds, butterflies and small mammals and an educational outreach program.
While at the base, we will build skill in radio telemetry, learn some canopy access techniques, look for reptiles all around the base, visit a waterfall, join researchers in their fieldwork, get attacked by thousands of leeches, see some of the hundreds of reptile and amphibian species found in the region and explore a stream and the ecological bounty in and around it.
We might even be fortunate enough to visit a king cobra nest if ARRS personnel find any this year and monitor and protect them. So far, ARRS has monitored and protected nests every year since its inception and ensured that over two hundred young have hatched safely.
Gowrishankar, the conservation officer at the base has also removed over a hundred king cobras from potentially dangerous situations in villages and towns nearby to release these snakes unharmed in adjoining forests. This has provided him with a platform from which to spread the word of conservation amongst the local communities around Agumbe.
After three tremendous days at Agumbe, we will drive westward to the coastal town of Gokarna. Here, on the windward side of the Ghats, we will get a chance to rest and recover from the arduous experiences of the three previous locations. Still, Gokarna is on the coast and there is much to be seen and learnt here as well. We will be staying at a place called Ohm Beach and weather permitting, be able to snorkel, looking for sea snakes or simply look around nearby fields and forest patches around our resort.
The last two days of this trip will be spent in Goa! At the Coconut Creek Resort, we will be able to relax but also do some of the touristy things like buy souvenirs, visit some tourist sites and simply lounge around. Again, we will not be without wildlife as Goa has numerous places that we can visit to observe wildlife. There are also reptiles and amphibians throughout the towns and even in the cities.
If you are interested in visiting India for an experience like this, get in touch with Paul Smith at paul@partnershiptravel.co.uk.
It has since evolved to be a flagship in herpetological research and conservation in the country. Here, we will get a chance to experience crocodiles, turtles and snakes first hand.
We will immerse ourselves in the work that is going on and contribute our services to learn in return. We will also get to interact with people who are at the helm in reptile conservation in India.
Today, some four hundred families go out into the fields around their villages and find four species of venomous snakes- the spectacled cobra, common krait, Russell’s viper and saw-scaled viper- to bring back to the cooperative for venom extraction. Venom is extracted once a week from each snake for three weeks before the snake is released back into the wild, making this the most sustainable venom extraction centre in the world! The venom is used in the production of antivenom as well as medicines and medical research.
After three days, soaking in all the learning and experience, we will board a train that will take us across the peninsular, almost due east to Mysore, where we will be picked up and driven to Hunsur, a town at the base of the Western Ghats in the state of Karnataka.
While at Hunsur, the group will be briefed in safety protocol before a visit to the Nagarahole National Park in the hope of seeing some large game. This is one of the country’s best National Parks and boasts species such as tigers, elephants, gaur, leopard, sloth bear and numerous other smaller species. We will also go for a boat ride in the Ranganthittu Wildlife sanctuary to observe nesting birds as well as wild marsh crocodiles. We also stand a very good chance to spot wild otters here.
Back at the camp in Hunsur, we will explore the lake and its surroundings and find numerous reptiles and amphibians. Checkered keelback water snakes (Xenochropus piscator) are obviously very common. However, there are also other interesting snake species like kraits (Bungarus caeruleus), vine snakes (Ahaetulla nasuta), rat snakes (Ptyas mucosa), spectacled cobras (Naja naja), Russell’s vipers (Daboia russelli) and many others. There are many geckos and other lizard species as well and we will see around twenty species of frogs here from coin sized Microhyla ornata to the pigeon-sized bull frogs (Hoplobatrachus crassus.)
We can take the coracles out to do some night fishing and also get a chance to look at the diverse life in the lake from crabs and shrimp to giant carp and eels. Nighttime is also great to spot soft-shell turtles swimming in the lake.
While at the base, we will build skill in radio telemetry, learn some canopy access techniques, look for reptiles all around the base, visit a waterfall, join researchers in their fieldwork, get attacked by thousands of leeches, see some of the hundreds of reptile and amphibian species found in the region and explore a stream and the ecological bounty in and around it. 
We might even be fortunate enough to visit a king cobra nest if ARRS personnel find any this year and monitor and protect them. So far, ARRS has monitored and protected nests every year since its inception and ensured that over two hundred young have hatched safely.Gowrishankar, the conservation officer at the base has also removed over a hundred king cobras from potentially dangerous situations in villages and towns nearby to release these snakes unharmed in adjoining forests. This has provided him with a platform from which to spread the word of conservation amongst the local communities around Agumbe.
After three tremendous days at Agumbe, we will drive westward to the coastal town of Gokarna. Here, on the windward side of the Ghats, we will get a chance to rest and recover from the arduous experiences of the three previous locations. Still, Gokarna is on the coast and there is much to be seen and learnt here as well. We will be staying at a place called Ohm Beach and weather permitting, be able to snorkel, looking for sea snakes or simply look around nearby fields and forest patches around our resort.
The last two days of this trip will be spent in Goa! At the Coconut Creek Resort, we will be able to relax but also do some of the touristy things like buy souvenirs, visit some tourist sites and simply lounge around. Again, we will not be without wildlife as Goa has numerous places that we can visit to observe wildlife. There are also reptiles and amphibians throughout the towns and even in the cities.
If you are interested in visiting India for an experience like this, get in touch with Paul Smith at paul@partnershiptravel.co.uk.
I hope I see you there!
Gerry Martin
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Superb post!!!
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